Idiopathic anterior urethritis in prepubertal and pubertal boys: pathology and clues to etiology.
OBJECTIVE
Records were reviewed to examine the common features of boys with noninfectious anterior urethritis, and to describe the underlying pathology.


METHODS
Five cases of anterior urethritis with features typical of this syndrome are reviewed.


RESULTS
These cases demonstrate the typical appearance and in 1 case the pathologic diagnosis of squamous metaplasia of the bulbar urethra.


CONCLUSIONS
Prepubertal urethrorrhagia is associated with squamous metaplasia of the urethra. The tendency to stricture formation may precede instrumentation of the urinary tract.
Docimo
S G
SG
Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD 21287-2101, USA.
Silver
R I
RI
Gonzalez
R
R
Müller
S C
SC
Jeffs
R D
RD
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014526:Urethritis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*